Stencil hand stamp with fluid-containing handle and torsion-spring support

ABSTRACT

A HAND STAMP PRINTING IMPLEMENT OR DIPLICATOR HAVING AN INKING PAD WITH A CONVEXLY CURVED BOTTOM FACE WITH CLAMPS FOR HOLDING A STENCIL IN PLACE ON SAID FACE AND A PAIR OF SPRING-BIASED SUPPORTS AT THE END OF THE PAD FOR HOLDING THE PAD LIFTED OFF A SURFACE WITH THE BOTTOM OF THE PAD FACING DOWNWARDLY AND IN POSITION FOR BEING MOVED DOWN TOWARD SAID SURFACE FOR CONTACT OF THE STENCIL WITH SAID SURFACE AND ROCKING OF THE PAD OVER SAID SURFACE.

March 6, 1973 L. F. HAMMEL 3,719,140

STENCIL HAND STAMP WITH FLUID-CONTAINING HANDLE AND TORSION'SPRINGSUPPORTS Filed July 27, 1970 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 March 6, 1973 F. HAMMEL3,719,140

STENCIL HAND STAMP WITH FLUID-CONTAINING HANDLE AND TORSION SPRINGSUPPORTS Filed July 27, 1970 2 Sheets Sheet 23 FIGS United States PatentO 3,719,140 STENCIL HAND STAMP WITH FLUID-CONTAIN- ING HANDLE ANDTORSION-SPRING SUPPORTS Larry F. Hammel, Herrin, Ill., assignor toDiagraph- Bradley Industries, Inc., Herrin, Ill. Filed July 27, 1970,Ser. No. 58,494 Int. Cl. B411: N22

US. Cl. 101-125 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A hand stampprinting implement or duplicator having an inking pad with a convexlycurvedbottom face with clamps for holding a stencil in place on saidface and a pair of spring-biased supports at the ends of the pad forholding the pad lifted off a surface with the bottom of the pad facingdownwardly and in position for being moved down toward said surface forcontact of the stencil with said surface and rocking of the pad oversaid surface.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a hand stampprinting implement, and more particularly to a stenciling implement ofthis class.

The invention is particularly concerned with a hand stamp printingimplement of the type having an inking pad with a convex bottom face, anink reservoir for supplying ink to the pad, and means for holding astencil in place on the bottom face of the pad for printing via manualapplication of the stencil to the surface to be imprinted. The manualapplication of the stencil to the surface to be imprinted involves arocking action of the implement in effect to roll the stencil on thestated surface. One of the problems attendant upon such an implement isthat of positioning it with the stencil or bottom face of the inking padout of contact with the supporting surface on which the implement is torest between uses. The implement could be tilted over on its side, butthis has the disadvantage that the ink tends to drain away from the pad.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Among the several objects of this invention maybe noted the provision of a hand stamp stenciling printing implementhaving means for holding itself lifted off a supporting surface, withits inking pad in a substantially horizontal position, with this meansadapted readily to permit the rocking action of the implement forstenciling; and the provision of such an implement which is ofrelatively economical construction and relatively simple to assemble(and disassemble, if need be).

In general, an implement of this invention comprises an inking pad ofrectangular outline, having a bottom face convexly curved from one sidethereof to the other adapted to hold a stencil, a handle for said pad,and means for holding said implement lifted off a surface with thebottom face of the pad facing downwardly and in position for being moveddown toward said surface and rocked over said surface comprising a pairof supports for the implement at the ends of the pad, said supportsbeing pivoted for swinging movement relative to the padon a horizontalaxis extending parallel to the sides of the pad adjacent one of saidsides and being biased to swing downwardly relative to the pad to apad-elevating position wherein they extend downwardly from their pivotswith their lower end portions below the bottom of the pad, said supportsbeing adapted to swing upwardly relative to the pad on their pivotsagainst said bias when the pad is moved downwardly toward 3,719,140Patented Mar. 6, 1973 said surface and permitting rocking of the padwith a stencil on its curved bottom face in contact with said surface.Other objects and features will be in part apparent and in part pointedout hereinafter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Referring to the drawings, a handstamp printing implement made in accordance with this inventIon,indicated in its entirety by the reference numeral 1, is shown tocomprise an inking pad 3 of foam rubber or the like, this pad being ofrectangular form in plan and having a bottom face 5 which is convexlycurved from one side of the pad to the other. The pad is mounted on thebottom of a head generally designated 7 including a rectangular headplate 9 and an arcuate bottom plate 11 extending convexly between thesides of the head plate 9 and having flange portions 13 at its sidesextending up above the head plate. The arcuate plate 11 has amultiplicity of perforations as indicated at 15 for passage of ink fromthe space 17 in the head 7 between the plates 9 and 11 to the pad 3which is mounted on the bottom face of the curved plate 11, with a clothcover for the pad constituting its bottom face 5, this cover beingcemented to the flanges 13. The head plate 9 has end flanges 19, acentral opening 20 and a tubular stem 21 extending upwardly therefrom incommunication with this opening, the stem being riveted at its lower endin the opening as indicated at 23. This stem is threaded both internallyand externally, as indicated at 25 and 27.

A rectangular cover plate 29 is provided on top of the head 7, bearingon the flanges 13 and held spaced thereby from the head plate 9. Thiscover plate has a central opening 31 receiving the stem 21. A ring nut33 is threaded externally on the stem and clamps the cover plate 29 downagainst the upper edges of the flanges 13. The cover plate 29 has endflanges 35 which cover the end flanges 19 of the pad head plate 9. Acombination ink reservoir and handle 39 is threaded internally in thesteam 21 and extends upward therefrom. More particularly thiscombination reservoir and handle is a plastic squeeze bottle having athreaded neck 41 which is threaded in the stem, a plug 43 for the neckand a siphon 45 having one end fitted in an opening in the plug.

A stencil indicated in phantom at 47 is adapted to be applied to thecloth-covered bottom face 5 of the inking pad 3 and to have its sidemargins clamped against the side margins of the pad by means of springclamps 49 carried by the cover plate at opposite sides thereof. Eachclamp is pivoted on a hinge pin 51 extending along the respective sideof the cover plate having its ends mounted in hinge eyes 53 formed atthe sides of the cover plate. Torsion springs for the clamps areindicated at 55.

In accordance with this invention, means is provided for holding theimplement 1 lifted off a surface S such as a surface to be imprintedwith the bottom face 5 of the pad 3 facing downwardly and in positionfor being moved down toward surface S and then rocked over this surface.This means comprises a pair of supports, each generally designated 57,for the implement at the ends of the pad, these supports being pivotedfor swinging movement relative to the pad 3 on a horizontal axisextending parallel to the sides of the pad adjacent one of its sides(its right side as viewed in FIGS. 3 and 4). This axis is indicated atAA in FIG. 1 and at A in FIG. 3. The supports 57 are spring biased, aswill appear, to swing downwardly relative to the pad to theirpad-elevating position of FIGS. 2-4 wherein they extend downwardly fromtheir pivots with their lower end portions below the bottom of the pad.They are adapted to swing upwardly relative to the pad on their pivotsagainst the bias when the pad is moved downwardly toward surface S andpermit rocking of the pad with its curved bottom face in contact withthe surface.

Each of the supports 57 is formed of a length of wire bent to have a leg59 extending generally at right angles from one end of a torsion barspring portion 61 of the wire, with a foot 63 extending the lower end ofthe leg 59 and a finger 65 at the opposite end of portion 61. The footis constituted by a loop of the wire having its end portion 67 welded toleg 59 for reinforcing the leg. The torsion bar spring portion 61 ofeach wire extends through a hole 69 in a respective end flange 35 of thecover plate 29 on the bottom of plate 29 in the space between the plates29 and 9, with the leg 59 extending down at an angles as appears in FIG.3 on the outside of the flange 35 and the finger 56 held flat againstthe bottom of cover plate 29 just inside the opposite end flange 35 by anut 71 on a bolt 73 extending through a hole in the cover plate.

FIGS. 2-4 show the implement 1 with the supports 57 in theirpad-elevating position on surface S, the angling of the supportsrelative to the fingers 65 being such that with the supports in thisposition, the plates 9 and 29 are generally horizontal, and pad 3 isthus generally horizontal raised above the surface S. The arrangementmay be such, if desired, that the pad is inclined slightly upward fromright to left as viewed in FIGS. 3 and 4 instead of being horizontal.The implement is adapted to be pushed down toward surface S forcontacting the stencil 47 with the surface S and then rocked with thestencil in contact with the surface S for printing on the latter. Onbeing pushed down, the pivots for the supports constituted by portions61 of the wires where they extend through the holes 69 swing down andback (toward the right as viewed in FIGS. 3 and 4) and portions 61,acting as torsion bars, twist on their axes to provide a spring biastending to return the implement upward so that, when the implement isreleased, it is raised back up off surface S to the raised position ofFIGS. 3 and 4.

In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of theinvention are achieved and other advantageous results attained.

As various changes could be made in the above construtions withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention, it is intended that allmatter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanyingdrawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limitingsense.

What is claimed is:

1. A hand stamp printing implement comprising an inking pad ofrectangular outline, having a bottom face convexly curved from one sidethereof to the other, a handle for said pad, and means for holding saidimplement lifted off a surface to be imprinted with the bottom face ofthe pad facing downwardly and in position for being moved down towardsaid surface and rocked over said surface comprising a pair of supportsfor the implement at the ends of the pad, said supports being pivotedfor swinging movement relative to the pad on a horizontal axis extendingparallel to the sides of the pad adjacent one of said sides and beingbiased to swing downwardly relative to the pad to a pad-elevatingposition wherein they extend downwardly from the pivot with their lowerend portions below the bottom of the pad, said supports being adapted toswing upwardly relative to the pad on their pivots against said biaswhen the pad is moved downwardly toward said surface and permittingrocking of the pad with its curved bottom face in contact with saidsurface, said implement further having a hollow head on the bottom ofwhich the pad is held, said head having a central opening and a tubularstem extending up from the head in communication with the opening, saidstem being internally and externally threaded, a cover plate on top ofthe head having an opening receiving said stem, means holding the coverplate spaced from the head, and a nut threaded externally on the stemfor clamping the cover plate on said head, said handle comprising acombination ink bottle and reservoir threaded internally in said stemand extending upwardly therefrom, said cover plate having downwardlydepending end flanges, and said supports having pivot means at theirupper ends whereby they are pivoted in said flanges.

2. A hand stamp printing implement as set forth in claim 1 having clampmeans at opposite sides of said cover plate for clamping a stencil inplace on the curved bottom face of the pad.

3. A hand stamp printing implement as set forth in claim 2 wherein eachsupport is formed of a length of wire bent to have a portion acting as atorsion bar spring extending through a hole in a respective flange ofsaid cover plate in the space between the cover plate and said head, aleg extending down from the outer end of said torsion bar springportion, and a foot extending from the lower end of the leg in thedirection toward the other side of the pad.

4. A hand stamp printing implement as set forth in claim 3 wherein saidhead has a head plate and a perforated curved bottom plate extendingbetween the sides of said head plate backing the inking pad, said bottomplate having flange portions at its sides extending up above the headplate constituting the means for holding the cover plate spaced from thehead.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,789,463 1/1931 Gorr 101-1251,566,865 12/1925 Guthrie 101-125 2,919,642 1/ 1960 Mooney 101-1252,966,116 12/ 1960 Harris et al 101-405 X 894,519 7/ 1908 Mills 401-FOREIGN PATENTS 329,668 12/ 1917 Germany 101-405 493,192 10/1938 England101-125 162,548 3/ 1958 Sweden 101-405 ROBERT E. PULFREY, PrimaryExaminer P. F. SU'ITER, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R.

